Skordalia is a traditional Greek dish that resembles garlic mashed potatoes and is typically served with fried cod. This recipe is very straightforward and allows for a great degree of flexibility. Some Greeks use bread instead of potatoes and vinegar instead of lemon juice. If you prefer a thicker skordalia, use less fish stock and olive oil. Want to make it vegan? Opt for water instead of fish stock. Don’t want to overwhelm everyone with garlic breath? Cut back on the number of cloves. The ingredient list below is intended as a guideline and reflects our own family’s preferences.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds potatoes
- 1-2 large garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup fish stock or water (in addition to water used to boil the potatoes)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
Preparation
- Wash and peel the potatoes
- Place in a large pot of water and bring to a rolling boil
- Boil the potatoes for approximately 15 minutes until a knife pierces through with little resistance
- While the potatoes are boiling, peel the garlic and place in the blender
- Once the potatoes are ready, drain the water and add some of the potatoes to the blender along with a tablespoon of olive oil, two tablespoons of the fish stock or water, and the juice from the lemon
- Blend until the potatoes, oil, stock/water, lemon juice, and garlic form a thick paste
- Depending on the size of your blender, repeat the blending process with the remaining potatoes, stock, and olive oil
- Once blended, mix in salt to taste, and drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the top
- The skordalia is served family style in a large bowl in the center of the table along with the fried cod for all to enjoy
